Etymology

There is some question about the origin of the term Saphenous.
Some believe it is from the Greek "Safaina", or "manifest", owing
to its superficial nature along its lower course. However, the
anatomist Avicenna referred to the vein as "al-Safin", Arabic for
"The Concealed". When the Great Saphenous travels up the thigh it is
"concealed" in its own fascial compartment.